Hazelnut Crust (for Sweet Tarts)

The first time I tried out this crust was for the Chocolate Salted Caramel Hazelnut Tart. As I mentioned when I shared the recipe, I was planning on using the crust for other sweet tart creations and this is exactly what I did. I have recently received multiple requests and messages asking me for the crust recipe; this is why I am doing a separate post for this wonderful "pâte sablée aux noisettes".

The hazelnut crust has a beautiful light texture, yet crunchy and addictively crumbly. It is perfect for chocolate or fruit tarts.

The amount of dough is enough for two tarts, one round and one rectangular. You might not be using it all on the same day. Don’t worry! Raw, it keeps very well in the freezer for up to a month. Just line the tart pan as described in the recipe, cover tightly with plastic wrap, label (name of the recipe and date) and keep in the freezer until ready to use.

Have the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment ready. Put the butter in the bowl of the stand mixer and mix on medium speed for a few minutes, until the butter has a silky and creamy texture. Add the powdered sugar, hazelnut flour, egg and 3 oz (90g) of flour. Once the ingredients are well combined, add the remaining 9 ½ oz (270g) of flour and mix very briefly. (don’t overwork the dough). Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Place the rolled out dough in the freezer for about 45 minutes. Butter the tart pan (even if it’s non stick!).When the dough is hard enough, remove it from the freezer, remove the top parchment paper, cut out a form a little larger than the form of your tart pan. (I did mine in a round one, but you can have a it in a square, rectangular or any shape you like). Line the tart pan with the rolled out dough, arrange the edges to have a nice finished product. Let it rest for 30 minutes in the fridge. (if not using it the same day, you can freeze the dough at this point. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, label (name of the recipe and date) and keep in the freezer until ready to use)Heat the oven to 320F (160C). Remove the tart from the fridge. Line it with parchment paper and baking weights and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the weighs and parchment paper and continue baking until the crust has a nice golden / light brown color.Transfer to a wire rack until completely cool.